Batala gang linked to Bhagwanpuria claims it murdered Amritsar labourer

Notorious gangster Bhagwanpuria, lodged in Patiala jail, is an undertrial in 30 cases, including murder and extortion; this is the 5th case where his name has cropped up recently

AMRITSAR: A day after a labourer Mandeep Singh, 26, of Pandoori village, around 12km district headquarters, was shot dead by unidentified men in Amritsar district, Pavitar group, based in Batala, and associated with notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, has claimed responsibility, in a Facebook post. The same gang has also claimed responsibility for firing bullets and injuring another Amritsar man, just half-an-hour before the brutal murder. Enmity was the motive in both cases.

Bhagwanpuria, a dreaded gangster of the state, is lodged in Patiala jail and is an under-trial in around 30 criminal cases, including murder, extortion, attempt to murder, dacoities. In recent times, this is the 5th case, where his name has cropped up.

Mandeep was returning home on a scooter on Tuesday evening when he was waylaid and killed, police have said, adding that eight bullets were pumped into him. A gangster Harwinder Singh Sandhu, of Pandoori village, uploaded the post claiming responsibility on his Facebook page.

Sandhu’s post reads, “The man who was murdered in Pandoori was killed by us. We committed the murder for our honour. It was our old enmity with this man (Mandeep). If we can open 25 rounds, we can also open 100 rounds. If anyone makes such a mistake in future, he will suffer a similar fate. Police should act, but no innocent should be booked in this case.” The post also claims that before killing Mandeep, they had also injured a man in Jhajjian village of Amritsar by pumping in seven bullets.

The post carries on, “The Jijiani-based man (Triptal Singh) had been trying to attack our brother Harman Bhullar.” According to police, Mandeep was shot dead at around 6pm and Triptpal, 18, was fired upon at 530pm.

Batala SSP OS Ghumman said, “The kingpin of the group is a Batala-based man Pavitar Singh, who is residing in the US. Similarly Husandeep Singh, whose picture is posted by Harwinder Sandhu, is also living in the US. Pavitar Singh is associated with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.” SSP rural Vikramjit Singh Duggal said police are on the lookout for the assailants. “Sandhu is a gangster. We are looking into this angle, too,” he said, adding they had booked unidentified men under sections 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), and 25-54-59 of the Arms Act in Mandeep’s murder case. Harwinder has also posted his picture along, with the message, with another member of his gang, Husandeep Singh.

On Saturday, Tarn Taran police had claimed that Bhagwanpuria was involved in recent cases of heroin recoveries in the district. Tarn Taran SSP Dhruv Dahiya had said Bhagwanpuria had increased his network in Amritsar and Tarn Taran area.